


Caught in the Rain

by thenakednymph



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien got into a fight, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, I JUST REALLY WANTED LADYBUG TO GIVE ADRIEN ONE OF HER HAIR RIBBONS OKAY?, babies having a heart to heart out in the rain, sad fic is sad, this got out of hand
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-12
Updated: 2016-05-12
Packaged: 2018-06-07 23:23:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6829579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenakednymph/pseuds/thenakednymph
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ladybug didn't mean tot get caught out in the storm, but it leads to a brief heart to heart with Adrien.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Caught in the Rain

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: SOD IT. There's four chapters to this stupid thing now so here, have the rest of chapter one that I never posted.

 

Ladybug had to blink water from her eyes as she swung from building to building, lightning cracking over head followed by a deafening roll of thunder. She'd hoped to outrun the storm before it hit but hadn't quite managed and was left to run through the downpour. She landed on a roof, skidding through the water and nearly losing her balance, whirling her arms to keep from falling over. She shoved her bangs back off her face with a huff. She could barely see through the knotted mass of her waterlogged hair as the rain came down. Maybe it was time for a trim.

Blowing irritably at the stream of water running over her lips she unhooked her yoyo and was about to let it fly again when she spotted Adrien sitting on a bench in the park. He was half obscured beneath the shadow of an old oak tree and like her, he was soaking wet.

Her heart tripped over in her chest and she was about to leave before he could spot her and she could make an idiot out of herself, but something stopped her. Maybe it was the slump in his shoulders, or the way he pulled his knees to his chest, but something about the whole situation felt _wrong._ She couldn't bring herself to just leave him there, not without knowing. So she dropped to the ground, deciding a few more minutes in the rain wouldn't kill her. She was already soaked through anyway.

“Adrien?” she called, trying to catch his attention. “It is...Adrien right?” She smiled but it shattered when he looked up at her and she saw the darkening bruise around his eye.

“Ladybug?” he murmured in surprise. He blinked up at her and Ladybug's heart fell at the same time her knees went weak and she sank onto the bench next to him, her lips parting. Her throat closed and she swallowed thickly, reaching out to touch his cheek.

“What happened?” Her voice was pitched high in concern. He'd been fine earlier when they were in class and she couldn't image what kind of trouble he could have gotten into between now and then. She couldn't imagine Adrien of all people being in any kind of trouble.

Her thumb brushed over his cheekbone just below the bruise until Adrien pulled away. “Nothing, I'm fine.” He curled in on himself and Ladybug frowned.

“No, you're not,” she said softly. “Otherwise you wouldn't be sitting out here in the rain.” She wished she had an umbrella to give him like he'd done for her the first day they'd met. Or when Adrien had met Marinette at least. But she didn't. All she had was her presence. She hoped it would be enough.

Adrien scowled, hugging his knees closer to his chest. “Why do you care anyway?” The rain was making him surly, but he wasn't ready to go home. Not yet.

Ladybug stared at him, trying to think of something to say, something wouldn't seem too strange. They weren't supposed to know each other. She ran a hand back through her hair, blinking the rain from her eyes. She looked at him sadly, her ribs aching as her heart broke for him.

“Because you deserve to have someone who worries about you,” she whispered.

Something in Adrien's face fractured and he turned away again. Ladybug wanted so badly to comfort him, to do something, anything, to ease his pain.

“I got into a fight.” Adrien's voice was muffled, obscured by the storm and his knees. It took Marinette a minute to process what he'd said. Adrien was the last person she'd expected to get into a fight and it took her some time to wrap her head around the idea. By the time she had he was speaking again.

“I saw these guys in an alley. They'd backed somebody into a corner...” He trailed off with a shrug. “I was trying to help.”

Ladybug didn't know whether to be furious or proud. She touched his arm, trying to get him to look at her, but she didn't know what to say. Had he done the right thing? It had certainly been noble.

“You could have gotten yourself killed.” A chill went through her at the thought and her grip on his arm tightened.

Adrien only shrugged. “It doesn't matter. They got away-”

“It matters to me,” she snapped, her words hotter than she'd intended and Adrien finally lifted his head to look at her. “You really think your life is that expendable? That no one will care if you get hurt?” She ducked her head to hold is gaze as he tried to look away. “There are people who care about you, who'd be devastated if you were hurt.” She bit her lip, trying to reign in her anger. She hadn't meant to lecture him.

She withdrew her hand and looked away. “Just...try to be more careful okay? What you did was noble but...”

“Stupid?” he supplied.

Ladybug smiled wryly. “A little bit yeah.”

The silence that settled around them was more comfortable and Adrien finally uncurled, tipping his face up to the rain. “Honestly I wasn't even thinking. I just acted.” The corner of his mouth pulled up in what might have been a fleeting smile. “My father's going to kill me,” he muttered.

Ladybug glanced at him. “Is that why you're out here?” she asked and Adrien nodded.

“Ironic isn't it? I can stare down two muggers but I can't even face my own father.” His head lolled sideways and he gave her a self-depreciating grin. “Not very courageous huh?” He looked away. “I'm not brave like you,” he whispered. “You can handle anything.”

Marinette struggled to speak around the lump in her throat and had to twist her hands together in her lap to keep from reaching out to him. “Silly boy,” she murmured. “You don't know how wrong you are.” She looked down at her lap. “I can face down an akuma without blinking, but without the mask...” She shook her head. “I can't even talk to the boy I like without making a mess of it.” She turned her head and smiled at him behind the tangle of her bangs. “We all carry our courage differently. There's nothing wrong with that.” She reached up and brushed his wet hair out of his face, cupping his cheek fondly.

Adrien sank briefly into the touch and she let him trying not to think about the last time someone had offered such a basic comfort to him. She pulled away to tug one of the ribbons in her hair free, taking Adrien's hand and setting it on her knee so she could tie it around his wrist. Adrien could only watch dumbly as she tied it into a neat bow, rolling his sleeve back down to hide it, patting his wrist when she was done.

“What's this for?” he asked, reaching over to cover the spot where the ribbon was hidden with his other hand.

Ladybug smiled and it was dazzling. “A little bit of extra courage,” she said, pitching her voice low and leaning forward like it was some big secret before winking at him and Adrien flushed.

“Come on.” She patted his knee before standing. “I'll walk you home.” She unhooked her yoyo, using it to leap up to the nearest building as Adrien began to walk him, Ladybug shadowing him from the rooftops.

 ~

Ladybug landed atop one of the large flat pillars bordering the Agreste mansion, watching Adrien as he approached, his steps slowing.

“Breathe Adrien,” she coaxed as he came to a stop beneath her.

He shook his head, his eyes wide. “You don't understand, my father-”

“It'll be okay,” she said, cutting him off. “I promise it'll be okay.” She tapped her wrist and Adrien glanced down at his own where her hair ribbon was hiding beneath his sleeve. “You're not alone.” A smile pulled at her lips. “And you're braver than you think you are.” She stood, turning towards the mansion. “I'll wait for you upstairs.”

“You don't have to do that,” Adrien rushed to say before she could zip away. “I don't want to be a burden.” He hung his head and Marinette smiled again.

“I know I don't.” The warmth in her voice made him look up. “And you're not.”

He watched as she threw the yoyo and zipped away, running along the roof of his house before dropping out of sight.

Clutching the ribbon around his wrist Adrien headed inside.

 


End file.
